Oil industry lesson for Westhill pupils

Pupils from Westhill Primary School have been given the chance to experience life on an oil rig and learn how to operate a crane.

Maersk Training, which provides realistic training for the global energy sector, hosted an education day at its base in Kingswells last Wednesday.

P7 pupils from Westhill visited the centre to find out more about the oil and gas industry, safety and training.

The free event included lessons on the day-to-day running of a North Sea platform, basic first aid, team building and communication.

The youngsters also tried out a crane simulator to test their precision skills, as well as a marine simulator to learn how to react to ever-changing weather and conditions offshore.

The Maersk Training education day is in its second year and is offered to all schools in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Pupils from eight schools will visit the centre as part of the initiative during the current academic year.

John Abate, managing director of Maersk Training Aberdeen, said: “We were pleased to welcome the pupils for a fun and educational day, when they learned more about the oil and gas industry they have grown up with in and around Aberdeen.

“They will hopefully now be inspired to go on and choose this sector as a career when they’re a bit older.”

Westhill Primary attended the education day for the second time.

Teacher Stephen Flett said: “We really enjoyed our trip to Maersk Training last year and once again found it to be a highly enjoyable and valuable learning experience.

“The activities were immersive, including real-world experiences such as operating a crane simulator, managing a drilling station and learning about how to perform first aid.

“It was great to see the students getting a first-hand introduction to what life is like in the oil and gas industry and some of the opportunities available.

“The students returned keen to find out more and learned a lot in just one half-day session.”